"The Drowsy Chaperone"

August 2, 2018 — The Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire, is not generally known for big, dazzling musical extraganzas. Drama, comedy, the best of Coward, Shaw, Moliere and occasionally Shakespeare, in some of the finest productions in the Northeast, yes. But with "The Drowsy Chaperone" they've come up with a winner in the music and dance genre.

Directed by Players artistic director Gus Kaikkonen with choreography by Kirby Ward, music direction by Thomas R. Martin, scenery by Charles Morgan and costumes by Betsy Rugg-Hinds, this production rivals the best you'll see in Boston or New York.

The amazingly energetic Kraig Swartz, who seems to be in just about every Players production this season, is the "Man in the Chair." Seated at one end of the stage beside a phonograph with several vinyl LP albums, lamenting the decline of big Broadway musicals which he adored, he places "The Drowsy Chaperone" album his mother gave him on the turntable and proceeds to play it as the cast acts it out on-stage. He continues to control the action throughout, critiquing it as it goes along with his amusing commentary.

Several Players regulars surprised me with their singing and dancing talent in roles the likes of which I've never seen them in. Others, like Jack Koenig, a fine dramatic actor, as Feldzieg, reminded me of another actor with virtually no singing and dancing experience, Robert Preston, in the 1962 movie, "The Music Man," who is remembered as a great song and dance star when he did little more than talk to the rhythm of the music and mastered a few fundamental dance steps.

Kathy Manfre as Mrs. Tottendale and Will Champion as Underling, her butler, start the action rolling. Robert Martin (Joe Bigelow) is engaged to be married. His betrothed, Janet Van de Graaf, is played by Elyse Collier who is also one of the dance captains, along with Emily Grace Tucker who appears in the dance ensemble. Collier is the most polished song and dance performer in the cast. Tom Frey is a scene-stealer as Aldolpho, the vainglorious lothario. Bridget Bairne, a versatile actress with a talent for accents, is the boozy Drowsy Chaperone. Kirby Ward as George is a superb tap dancer. Rebecca Brinkley, seen for the third time this season, is at her winsome, sexy best as Kitty. Ryan Alexander Jacobs and Troyer Coultas are gangsters posing as pastry chefs. Mikaela Edelman is Trix the Aviatrix, not seen much, but she has a pivotal role at the end. Sean Casey-Flanagan has a brief role as the building superintendent.

High energy, lots of laughs, Broadway-class song and dance numbers make this one of the best shows of the summer season. "The Drowsy Chaperone" with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar opened on Broadway in 2006 and was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards and won five.